Brew cooling



Nov. '28, 1939.

H. E. SCHULSE BREW COOLING Orginal' Filed Sept. 9, 1935 A INVENTOR ermafzfcas'e BY ArToRNEY Patented Nov. 2s, 1939 .o 2,181,710

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BREW COOLING Herman E. Schulse, Miami, Fla.

Original application September 9, 1933, Serial No. 688,779. Divided and this application October 9, 1937, Serial N0. 168,265,

13 Claims. (Cl. 62-141) My present invention is concerned with shipencountered in the use of such instrumentalities.

ping, cooling and dispensing beverages, to main- Another object is to provide a beverage contain them in most sanitary and palatable conytainer which presents a rugged structure devoid dition. of delicate parts, useful'not only for shipping,

The invention has its preferred applicability in but also for cooling and for permitting direct disthe handling of brew such as beer, although it is pensing therefrom. by no means limited thereto, and is more espe- Another object is to provide a barrel or keg cially concerned with installations from which of the ab'ove type which can be fabricated in such beverages are drawn for -sale in restaurants quantity production with the use of parts, 1l) and at bars. standard in beer barrel construction, either of l1) VFor a clear understanding yof the purpose of metal orof wooden type; and in which the modithe invention, it is noted that with the dispensing cations necessary for the added utilitycan. be

barrels heretofore commonly in use, when the readily introduced. f brew is first drawn from the barrel or keg Another object is to provide a barrel orkeg Cir 15 through a cooling unit, -difficulty is encountered construction of the above type, of standard di- 15 due to introduction into the brew of harmful mensions, and which has the standard volumetric organisms from the scale, mold and slime which capacity, despite the presence of the ycooling inform in the course of use in cooling coils, float strumentalities associated therewith,kand which valves, pressure valves and other control or lends itself readily to handling in the brewery cooling devices. l/Not only is the beverage beingv without the slightest alteration in brewers equip- 20 tapped rendered sour and unpalatable in such ment for barrel handling, washing, filling and installations, but-in many cases, the contents of the like. the barrel are spoiled by return thereto of brew Another object is to provide a shipping and from the slime laden cooling unit. Where no cooling barrel or keg of the above type which 25. such return ow occurs, there is also the Waste may be caused to maintain its contents substanof spoiled beer whichhas lodged inthe refrigertially without variation, at the proper temperaating unit overnight, and which must be disture at all times, by the use of the comparatively carded to avoid rendering the beer unsanitary, simple cooling equipment, operable with a mini-Y and unpalatable. mum of power expense, and devoid of delicate v Frequent removal of such accumulations of partsapt to become deranged. 30 scale, mold and slime from the refrigerating The present application is a division of my unit is an arduous task, commonly neglected, copending application, Ser. No. 688,779, filed and is. in most cases, unfeasible during the hours September 9, 1933, and patented on November 2 that the brew is being dispensed for sale. 1937, under No. 2,098,210. e

Aside fromthese objections,l excessive chilling In the accompanying drawing in which is of beer with the use of refrigerating coils to shown one of various possible embodiments of` below the desired temperature generally approved the several features of the inventionby skilled brewers, results in impaired head, im- Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of an paired flavor and cloudiness.` K installation of a number `of kegs embodying the 40 In the usualsmall beer dispensing establishpresent invention. 40 ments, cold storage facilities are not available for Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional viewv on a maintaining several barrelsof beer continuously larger scale of the barrel or keg embodying my at the preferred temperature, and the difficulty invention. Y Y therefore, sometimes results in loss of flavor, due Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing to objectionable fermentation which may occur the keg of Fig. 2 mounted for cooling, and, 45

' when the beer is alloweddto reach a tempera- Fig. 4 is a view in transverse cross section on ture much above dfegres F. line 4-4 -of Fig. 3. It is among the objects of the invention to Referring now toFigs. 1 and 2, there is shown maintain, by the simplest means, the beer within a beer barrel or keg having the usual wooden 50 the barrel in proper condition as to temperature heat insulating side wall IU provided with the 5o 'andpurity, until it is dispensed directly thereconventional removable bung Il forv fllling and from, all'with the total elimination of separate cleaning purposes and an upper'wooden Wall or cooling tanks or receptacles with their coils, float draft head I2 provided withV the usual draft outvalves and pressure andfcontrol valves,.and therelet I3 adapted to be closed by conventional means by obviating all ofv the difliculties above noted for the purpose. 55

.suchas metal, and which 'After the manual removal and the insulating pad 2|,

'I'hekeg structure, which is thus far described is conventional, is modified according to the present invention, by having its lower head plate I4 of heat-conducting metal, and by providing thereon a peripheral downwardly inturned ange I5 'of contour to t snugly in a V-shaped croze I1 in the side wall I0 to form a chime I8. The inner face of the metal head plate I4 is in direct contact with the liquid contents of the barrel, and the outer or exposed face of said plate during shipment or storage is covered by a heat insulating disc or pad 2I, lodged within the flange I5, and removably xed to said plate by a holding disc 29 and a thumb screw 22, passing therethrough and threaded into a tapped socket orboss 23 welded to the under face of said plate.

The keg shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is employed in the system shown in Figs. 1 and 4, in which a feed pipe main 26, and a return main 21 for circulating a suitable cooling medium are disposed at the floor of the establishment, and have taps or branch connections 28 hollow cooling platform, drum or chamber 30, having a top wall 25 of heat conducting material are provided with Valves 3| and 32 respectively. oi. the thumb screw 22 the keg is seated on and its lower end telescoped over the cooling platform 30. The metal head plateA I4 will then rest flush upon form 30, which is countersunk at 34 to accommodatev the socket`23 on said plate I4. lThe lower ends of the barrel staves in that relation are preferably elevated slightly above the door.

The branch 28 communicates with a pipe 35,

. extending Vdiametrically of the cooling platform or drum 30, and emptying thereinto at the side remotefrom its inlet, while the return branch 29 is' adjacent to inlet 28, thus assuring adequate circulationxof the cooling medium through the hollow platform 30.

In operation, the cooling drum or platform' 30 contacting with the metal heat conducting head plate I4, lwill abstract heat as desired from' the lower end of the barrel or keg to cool the contents to the desiredtemperature at the region. from which the beer is withdrawn for consumption.

, by side relation. One of Inv the installation shown in Fig. 1 illustratively, behind the dispensing bar or serving counter, kegs such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are disposed in side the kegs is shown tapped by a draft tube 40 shown only diagrammatically and which is not claimed herein. The draft tube may comprise tube 4 I, extending through the outlet I 3, and also a coupling 42 for applying the gas pressure to propel the beer through the tube 4I tol a dispensing faucet 43, carried at the upper end thereof. Y

The two mains 26 and 21 are connected to a suitable refrigerating unit 44 at one end ofthe bar, and extend just above the floor in back of the kegs as shown in Fig. 1. unit 44 isthermostatically controlled'l in any suitable manner such as that shown in my parent application, Serial No. 688,779, to maintain a predetermined cooling temperature in the hollow` circulate a coollngf platforms 30, and serves to medium through the mains 26 low platform 30 returning by pipe 29 and 29, which lead to aV the cooling plat-A `set into said side This refrigeratingl which region the Ydraft tube draws, and the beer is not agitated or moved during such cooling.

In the continuous circulation, the temperatureregulated cooling medium from the main 26 will enter the hollow platform 30 through the connections 28 and 3.5, and thence will flow rapidly through the space determined by said platform. to the return main 21. Throughout the circulation, the space determined by the platform 30 will remain at all times filled with the cooling medium from the circulating system.

. Although the invention is shown as applies to a keg having a wooden side wall, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the lnvention can also be applied to steel kegs.

As many changes could be made in lthe above constructions, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A keg for shipping, cooling and dispensing beverages, said keg having -a chime and a metal end Wall secured therein, said end wall having removably aiiixed to the exterior surface Vthereof an insulating cover therefor, countersunk with respect to the rim of the keg structure.

2. A keg for shipping,l cooling and dispensing beverages, said keg having a chime, a sheet metal end wall in the form of a circular tray having a rim lodged in the chime of the keg, said' end Wall having a heat insulating disk lodged snugly against the outer face thereof, and'means -for removably maintaining said insulating ydisk against said tray structure.

3. A keg for shipping, brew or the like including a heat insulated side wall a metal end plate near one end of said side wall a heat insulating pad, andmeans for removably securing said pad-in heat insulating position with respect to the outer face of said end plate.

4. A keg for shipping, cooling and dispensing beverages'including a side wall, a metal end plate set into said side wall, and having a. central boss extending outwardly from the outer face of said plate, a heat insulating pad lodged snugly against the outer face of said plate and encircling said boss, and clamping means secured to said boss for removably maintaining said insulating pad against said plate. y f` 5. A keg for shipping, cooling and dispensing beverages including a side wall, a metal end plate wall and having a central boss extending outwardly from the outer face of said plate, a heat insulating pad lodged snugly against the outer face of said plateand encirclingv said boss, and a'thumb screw threaded into'sald boss for removably maintaining said insulating pad against said plate.

6. In combination ing, and dispensing a barrel for shipping, coolbrew or the like including `a heat insulating side wall, and a metal end plate at the bottom end having its inner face in direct contact with the liquid contents of said barrel, a cooling chamber in heat conductive-contactV with the outer face of said plate, and conduits extending from the side of said cooling chamber for circulating cooling medium therethrough.

'7. In combination a cooling chamber affixed to a floor and having a top wall of lheat conducting material, and a keg for dispensing brew or the like, having a side wall and a metal end plate near the bottom, and seated upon said cooling chamber in dispensing position with the outer face of said plate in heat conductive contact with the top wall of said chamber.

' 8. In combination a cooling chamber aiiixed to a floor and having a top wall of heat conducting material countersunk in the central portion thereof, and a beer keg having a metal end plate near the bottom thereof and seated on said cooling chamber in dispensing position, with the outer face of said plate in heat 'conductive contact .with said top wall, said'plate having a downwardly extending boss adapted to support means,

for clamping a heat insulating pad in contact with the outer face of said plate during the shipment or storage of said keg and extending into the countersunk portion of said top Wall.

9. In combination a cooling chamber aiiixed to a floor, and having a top wall of heat conducting material, a beer keg having a metal end plate spaced a comparatively short distance from the lower end of the keg and affording a chime, said barrel being seated on, and telescoped over 'said cooling chamber with the outer face of said plate in heat conductive contact with said top wall, and means for circulating a cooling medium through said chamber.

l0. In combination a feed pipe main and a return pipe main for circulating cooling medium, a cooling chamber affixed to a floor, and having a top wall of heat conducting material, branch connections between said mains and the interior of said chamber for effecting circulation of cooling medium therethrough, and a beer keg having a bottom head plate of metal and seated on said top wall in dispensing position, with the outer face of said plate in heat conductive contact with said top wall. f l1. In combination a cooling chamber affixed toa floor and having a top wall of heat conductingmaterial, a pipe having its open end adjacent the inner periphery of said chamber on one side thereof, another pipe extending diametrically of said chamber, and having its open end substantially diametrically disposed with respect to the open end of said first mentioned pipe, one of said pipe connections serving as an inlet for the delivery of cooling medium into said chamber, and the other serving as a return pipe for said cooling medium, and a beer keg seated upon said cooling chamber in dispensing position and. having a metal end plate near the bottom thereof in direct heat conductive contact with said top wall.

l2. A beer cooling and dispensing system including a bar; a plurality of hollow platforms arranged side by side along the floor, behind said bar, means for circulating a cooling medium through each of said platforms, and a plurality of beer kegsA each having a metal bottom plate, the inner face of which is in direct contact with the1 liquid contents of the keg, each of said kegs being seated in dispensing position on a corresponding platform with the outer face of said plate in heat conductive contact with said platform, some of said kegs being on tap for dispensing purposes, Whiie other kegs iare being cooled and maintained at dispensing temperature and on reserve prior to tapping. i

13. The combination set forth in claim 12 in which the cooling medium is introduced into said platform through a longer pipe, substantially diametrically thereacross, and is discharged from said platform through a shorter pipe adjacent the inlet end of said longer pipe.-

HERMAN E. SCHULSE. 

